1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to monitoring a remote site. More particularly, the present invention is directed to monitoring a remote site by providing real time transmission of outputs from a plurality of digital and/or analog multistate sensors which detect intrusion and/or fire or other environmental or other parameter, and communicate this information in an efficient, and effective format.
2. Background Information
Existing intrusion detection systems and their respective monitoring stations typically provide binary off/on alert information to the user. Known security systems employ binary status detection devices due to the availability and low cost of these sensors, and report only active (versus inactive) alarm status information. For example, an indicator, such as a lamp or audible output, is on when a particular sensor is tripped, and is off when the sensor is reset. Some known methods capture dynamic point state transitions using, for example, latching sensors that hold a transition state for a limited period of time, then reset automatically.
Systems that offer more detailed information resort to specialized communication protocols and proprietary interconnection solutions. For example, monitoring systems for property protection and surveillance are known which transmit live audio and/or video data. However, because a large number of video surveillance cameras is not only cost prohibitive, but generates large quantities of data that cannot be easily transmitted to remote monitoring sites in real time, these systems have not achieved the wide spread use associated with binary off/on systems.
Systems that supply binary off/on alert information, even sophisticated systems that employ multiple sensors in a monitored space, only resolve alert information to a particular sector, or zone, of the building under surveillance. Thus, information such as the precise location of a potential intruder, is not provided for responding police officers. More importantly, even when a large number of sensors is used to increase the resolution of alert information, the use of binary on/off indicators prohibits any ability to track an intruder's movement through the building and yet still be able to resolve the current location of the intruder.
In addition, known binary off/on systems cannot distinguish whether an alarm is real (i.e., genuine) or false. When police arrive on the scene of a building where an alarm was tripped, they do not know whether the alarm is real or false and they are blind to what is inside the building. Substantial time and money is expended in having police respond to large numbers of false alarms. In situations where the alarms are valid, the police do not know this for certain, and can be taken by surprise. They enter the building not knowing where the subject(s) might be.
The same drawbacks exists for fire monitoring and surveillance systems. Although fire alarm systems are often tied directly into the local fire company, the false/real alarm discrimination, exact location of the fire, and the movement of the fire are unknown to the fire company which receives and responds to the alarm.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a system and method for monitoring a remote site, whereby the false/real alarms can be accurately distinguished, and whereby movement of intruders or fire, or changes in an environmental or other parameter, can be reliably tracked while still pinpointing the precise location of the intruder or fire or of the location where the parameter is changing. It would also be desirable to provide this information to monitoring sites, for use by responding personnel, in real time.